Congrats Reuben & Victoria!

I’m super proud that Victoria and I managed to make it all the way to the final and come third in Cooks On Fire Season 2!

What you see on screen is who I am. I love cooking for my friends and family, having a laugh and bringing people together over good food. Getting the chance to go up against some of the best pitmasters in New Zealand was unreal, and I hope you enjoyed watching us bring some heat (and plenty of banter) to the BBQ pit. Congrats to the winners, Matt and Heather, it was well deserved!

For those who don’t know the backstory, I wasn’t even supposed to be there! The producers called needing an emergency replacement team, so I knew exactly who to ring: my good friend Victoria, the powerhouse behind VEVO Eatery in Titirangi. Lucky for me, she was instantly in!

What a partner she is. Victoria is a fully qualified chef who cut her teeth in high-end, high-pressure kitchens in Auckland and Melbourne from the age of 19. Since 2011, she’s poured that same energy into VEVO, a café known for its amazing coffee (shoutout to Mt Atkinson beans), quality food and a warm, welcoming vibe where everyone feels at home. Exactly the kind of flavour and energy we needed heading into the competition.

Cooks On Fire really is the ultimate barbecue battle. We went head-to-head with six other teams of two, over six weeks for the chance to win $30,000 prize money and the Cooks on Fire trophy. Host Ganesh Raj, pitmaster Jared Macdonald, and world-renowned fire expert and meat scientist Jess Pryles set the challenges and kept us all on our toes.

It’s been one smokin’ season, and I’m stoked we got to be part of it. Want to see the show? Watch on TVNZ+.